1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a pico-base transceiver station (Pico-BTS) system and, in particular, to an apparatus for dividing power and a method thereof within a service area serviced by a Pico-BTS.
2. Related Art
In general, a mobile communications system divides a service available area into cells to provide communication services. Examples of the cells include a macro cell, a micro cell, and a pico cell. The cells are arranged within a specific area to efficiently provide a differential service area. The macro cell provides the widest service area, while the micro cell provides the narrowest service area.
The pico cell is used to provide call services within buildings, specific areas such as campuses, playgrounds, airports, and shopping malls, areas where a special event or a natural disaster happens, and areas where remote-control is impossible. The pico cell is also used to complement call services of the macro cell or a mini cell having a tunnel, and to improve service quality in areas where service quality is poor.
A Pico-BTS provides communication services for the pico cell. The Pico-BTS includes a pico-main unit and a pico-radio unit. However, since the pico-radio unit is expensive, the total production cost increases. In this respect, services through the pico-main unit and a repeater have been suggested.
However, services provided through a pico-main unit have also experienced production cost problems due to the necessity of providing additional equipment (i.e., amplification equipment) when there is a large distance between the repeater and the areas to be serviced.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an apparatus for dividing power and a method thereof in a Pico-BTS that substantially obviate one or more of the problems resulting from limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for equally dividing power within a service area in a Pico-BTS.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for equally dividing power within a service area in a Pico-BTS.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims thereof, as well as in the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, an apparatus for dividing power in a Pico-BTS according to the present invention includes a repeater for amplifying a signal, which is of a prescribed size and which is provided displaced from a Pico-BTS main unit, and a power divider for controlling the signal amplified by the repeater to be equally divided into a service area serviced by the Pico-BTS.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method for dividing power in a Pico-BTS having a Pico-BTS main unit and a repeater displaced from the Pico-BTS main unit for amplifying a signal to a prescribed degree includes the steps of controlling the power division rate to equally divide the power into a service area serviced by the Pico-BTS, and power-dividing the amplified signal depending on the controlled power division rate.